Bringing Home the Bad Boy (Second Chance #1)(34)

She didn’t mean to say it, and it had only been a whisper, but by the look twisting Evan’s face—the angry look twisting his face—he heard. And he hadn’t liked what he heard.

“Sorry,” she said to him this time. “I should go.”

Surprisingly, he gave her space. She used that space to stand, push the chair back under the desk, and dart for the door. Not surprisingly, before she escaped, his hand wrapped around her wrist.

She ground to a halt and lifted her eyes to his.

His face was utterly unreadable. When he finally spoke, it was the last three words in the English language she’d expected.

“Watch Lyon tomorrow?”

“Uh… sure.” Whatever it took to get away from the man who had slid his tongue along hers seconds ago and was loosely gripping her wrist now. Because both the kiss and the grip were distracting to the nth degree. She needed to get back home and sort out her thoughts. Not like she could do that here. Around Evan, her thoughts were thoroughly unsorted. Obviously. Since she kissed him.

Oh no.

He gave her hand back. “Tomorrow, Ace,” he called as he crossed the room. Back to her, he brushed a hand over the blank page leaning against the easel.

Without a word, she left the studio, grabbed her purse, and dashed across the beach to her house.


*


Charlie examined the Make It an Event! brochure on her breakfast bar for the third time. “I don’t know. Do you think I should have lightened up this one a bit?” She tapped a fingernail on the photo of Faith’s stunning smile.

“No nitpicking!” Sofie closed the brochure and stuffed it into her purse. “I think they look great. You’re a great photographer. Now come with me. I have shoe shopping to do, and so do you, because I’m treating you to a pair as your bonus for the amazing photos you took for me.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

She grabbed her arm. “I know.”

Cobbler’s Cove had not only the best shoe shopping in town but the best shoe shopping—according to Sofie—on the planet. Sofie had a penchant for heels and boots and slides… and just about every other kind of footwear.

She slipped on a pair of short cowgirl boots and twisted her ankle to admire them. “Gah. I’m going to have to get these, too!” Kicking off her shit-kickers, she dropped them in a box and stacked it atop four others.

Four.

Charlie had found a cute pair of beach sandals, which Sofie claimed were identical to her other pairs of beach sandals, but she knew better. The color of these was clearly stated as fawn, and her others were beige, camel, and sand.

Hmm. Maybe Sofie had a point.

After shoe shopping—Sofie had racked up so many points at the shoe store because of her frequent purchases, not only were Charlie’s pair free but the boots as well—they swung by Cup of Jo’s for an afternoon caffeine hit.

Jo was behind the counter, a spunky forty-something with streaked blond hair, not a hint of gray showing, and a deep voice like she was a smoker or maybe used to be. Jo had been an Evergreen Cove staple for as long as Charlie could remember. Sofie walked in and Jo shouted, “The usual?” proving Sofie was a frequent flyer.

“And for you, gorgeous?” Jo smiled at Charlie, pleasant lines crinkling her eyes.

“Oh, um. I have to care for a very rambunctious seven-year-old in an hour, any suggestions?”

“Double caramel mocha latte, with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.” Jo snapped her fingers and went to work without waiting for her to confirm.

When Sofie reached for her purse, Charlie beat her to the punch and paid the young girl working the cash register. “You bought me shoes, let me at least buy you coffee.”

Cups in hand, they took to the sidewalk, sipping their drinks. Despite the warm day and warm breeze, the hot coffee tasted amazing, and the sugar-slash-caffeine dump had Charlie’s adrenal glands rolling around like a feline in catnip.

“How’s your hot neighbor doing?” Sofie asked as they turned the corner to walk down to the furniture store, Cozy Home. Without her previous employee discount, Charlie couldn’t afford anything in the place, but it was fun to look.

“He’s…”

Hot. Kisses like a dream. Making me have lusty, sinful thoughts I should run to church to pray about.

“… Fine.”

“I saw Asher Knight the other day at Salty Dog. That man is the embodiment of fine.”

“I hung out with him last night. He’s a handful.”

“Look at you, surrounded by all the hot guys in the Cove. And here I keep going on dates and having nothing to show for them.”

Outside Cozy Home, they admired a white leather sofa set covered in brightly colored retro-print pillows.

Charlie took a breath and blew out the words that’d been gnawing at her insides since this morning. “Evan kissed me last night and I feel so guilty, I can hardly breathe.”

Since she didn’t go to church, Sofie was going to have to be her confessional.

Sofie’s hand went to Charlie’s back. “Honey, why? Why guilty?”

“Because of Rae.” Her reflection in the store’s glass showed how guilty she felt. It was written in every distraught line on her face.

Sofie rubbed Charlie’s back and watched her in the window. “He kissed you, or you kissed him?”